Northwoods Recovery: No rehab, no redemption, just return

“G” will be released from prison soon, and so once again will be returning to his Northwoods community.

This is not good news; not for his mother, not for our Northwoods, and certainly not for “G”; at this point in his life prison is the safest place for him. Once out, chances are good that sooner or later he’ll either wind up dead of an overdose — Narcan has saved his life more than once already — or be involved in a drug deal ending in gunfire, as has happened once before.

A long-term substance abuser, he continued to use drugs while in prison and appears unconcerned with the sanctions imposed for doing so; “G” shows no signs of changing his ways anytime soon. Substance use combined with incarceration seems to be his preferred lifestyle. 

“G’s” story would be considered a dark comedy if it weren’t his mother’s heartbreaking tragedy. 

Prison holds little in the way of programs to aid addicted felons in recovering from their addiction, and “G” himself has never shown any real interest in drug rehabilitation. Shortly after beginning his one — court ordered —attempt at rehab, he disappeared from the facility. Police later found him hiding in the trunk of his mother’s car, chatting on his phone; he was quickly returned to jail.

During his present incarceration he’s made a nuisance of himself petitioning the courts to be granted custody of his daughter. Thankfully, there is little likelihood any judge would compound this tragedy by allowing anything of the sort.

Because he’s never been willing to forego criminal activity or make any honest effort to get clean, “G’s” half-siblings are adamantly opposed to allowing him to stay in their mother’s home anymore. His mother already struggles with serious health issues of her own and is simply unable to restrain her youngest son’s deviant behavior. Like most drug addicts nearing rock-bottom, his family wants nothing to do with him.

Is there any reason for hope? 

I wish to believe that like so many other lost souls before him “G” — through divine intervention — can find his way to recovery, and rather than further burdening our community, will begin to make amends for all the damage his addiction’s inflicted on our Northwoods, and most especially his mother.

I hope to one day witness another miracle not unlike my own; “G’s” presence at a recovery gathering, there to offer more proof that: We Do Recover.